Superlatives from the 1958 Tyshac; from left is Donald McKinney (most popular), Pauline Crisp (most studious), and Richard Buchanan (most likely to succeed). 

Nineteen yearbooks from eight high schools in McDowell County have been digitized by our partner, the McDowell County Public Library, and added to our site. The batch includes:

• Glenwood High School’s The Nushka (1955, 1967, 1968)
• Clevenger College’s The Tyshac (1958)
• Pleasant Gardens High School’s The Pines (1961, 1969, 1970)
• Old Fort High School’s Arrowhead (1969, 1970, 1971)
• Marion High School’s Hylander (1969,  1970, 1971)
• Nebo High School’s Pioneer (1969, 1970, 1971)
• North Cove High School’s Conasoga (1971)
• McDowell High School’s Odyssey (1972, 1973)

Margaret B. Norris, dedicatee of the 1967 Nushka

One delightful hallmark of yearbooks from this era is the dedication to a beloved teacher or administrator. One sweet example is the dedication to Margaret Norris (who has a little bit of a Meryl Streep look) at the beginning of the 1967 edition of The Nushka. It reads, “It would be impossible to estimate the number of ways in which she has made our days a little brighter, our paths a little easier to travel, and our lives a little more worthwhile.”

Another dedication from the 1969 Pioneer celebrates “our friend” and “a man unafraid to stand for right, even though he may stand alone,” Jack Kirstein. It reads, “Dedicated to making young people better citizens, he presents himself as a living example of the love, patience, and understanding human beings must have for one another.”

You can read more heartwarming dedications in the full batch of yearbooks, available here. You can also browse our full collection of high school yearbooks by school and year in our North Carolina Yearbooks collection. To see more materials from the McDowell County Public Library, visit their partner page and their website.

More yearbooks are in—and they are from the golden age of yearbook graphic design! Thanks to our partner, the Page-Walker Arts & History Center, we’ve added the 1968-1972 yearbooks from Cary High School to our site.

Although the artistry of these yearbooks can’t be captured by excerpts alone (you can look at the full yearbooks here), some of the artistry of Cary High’s curriculum could be. The yearbook staff was able to make classes look fun—even if that contradicts some of the student opinions. Here are some examples that will make you want to enroll.

From The Yrac, 1968

#1: ICT

This student looks like they might be at work, but in fact, this is part of an ICT class—which stands for “industrial co-operative training.” Myra, the caption explains, is in Rex Hospital at a nursing station. From the rest of the yearbook spread, it seems like the ICT program helped students get a sense of what certain jobs were really like. 

From The Yrac, 1969

#2: Band

Of course band is on the list! Look at those uniforms! The wrap-around marching tuba! Who wouldn’t see the appeal of goofing around with your friends while you play instruments? Then again, you always run the risk of having a trumpet played right next to your ear.

From The Yrac, 1968

#3: Auto mechanics

For those who find sitting in desks and taking notes dreary, there are always hands-on classes. The yearbook notes that these students are at West Cary, then a satellite school for first year students that was separate from the senior high school. The extra space meant more room for vocational classes.

From The Yrac, 1970

#4: Spanish

Apparently, having to sing in front of your foreign language class is a tradition that goes back decades. While some students may find the assignment harrowing, these three performers decided to adapt a favorite song, “Where have all the flowers gone?” (You can listen to a 1967 Spanish adaptation here, though it isn’t by students.)

From The Yrac, 1970

#5: History

Nothing brings history to life like costume role-play—or so might argue these students. The caption describes these students as “mobsters” deciding on “the fate of their fellow classmates,” but there looks to be at least one Charlie Chaplin and perhaps a soldier in there.

From The Yrac, 1972

#6: Yearbook

Especially for the staff members of this era, yearbook was kind of a fine art. The real perk of the job, though, was getting to use that camera.

From The Yrac, 1968

#7: Drama

Who knows what was happening here? I suppose the caption warns you that you’re liable to see “weird” things near the drama department. Bill does not seem eager to have this photo taken.

You can see the full batch of The Yrac yearbooks here or browse our North Carolina Yearbooks collection by school and date. To see more materials from the Page-Walker Arts & History Center, you can visit their partner page and their website.